Tea Party movement

The Tea Party movement is a conservative political movement made up of followers of libertarianism, the US Republican Party, and populism. Formed in 2009 to protest against President Barack Obama, the Tea Party has gained the support of 10% of the American public.

History
Named for the 1774 "Boston Tea Party" - caused by the idea of "taxation without representation" - the Tea Party movement seeks to lower taxes and reduce government spending to reduce national debt. CNBC Business News network correspondent Rick Santelli was influential in creating the movement, saying that Chicago bond dealers needed to have a "tea party" against the government. The movement gained support from opponents of President Barack Obama, and in 2009 200,000-800,000 people took part in the Taxpayer March on Washington to protest taxation, abortion, and to fight against Obama's government. A defining feature of the Tea Party was its activism in organizing protests against Obama, and most of the US Republican Party candidates in the 2016 presidential elections were Tea Party supporters; Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson were all given support by the Tea Party, which consists of 10% of the American public.